10 Ideas to Be a Good Neighbor during a Crisis

Kevin

5 years ago

As many in our communities shelter-at-home, self-quarantine, and stay-local, how can we make life better for each of us?

Consider the one-anothers for help!

Let me suggest a few ideas that may help…

Look for creative ways to love each other through service and devotion (John 13:34; Gal 5:13; Rom 12:10)
- Look past yourself and see others who may need help or enjoy a word of encouragement
- Put others above yourself as you seek to follow and love like Christ
- Consider others as more important than yourself (1 Pet 5:5; Phil 2:3)
Guard your attitude toward each other (John 13:14; Rom 12:10, 16)
- Do not grumble toward those around you
- Seek to be at peace with others
- Look for something to compliment
- In hardship, it is so easy to get grumpy, cross, and impatient.
- Is it possible you are allowing your concerns over this virus to shorten your patience, kindness, long suffering, or forbearance?
Show gratitude to those who serve you (1 Thess 5:11)
- Leave a note for your mail carrier thanking them for serving you
- Consider contacting a neighbor with a word of encouragement
- Possibly send them a note on your favorite social network or make positive statements there about those in particular professions
- Thank those serving food to you in a drive-thru, the checkout person at the grocery store, and the many others who serve you
Seek to encourage others in your words and deeds (Eph 4:29)
- Call someone just to say “Hi”
- Send an email, text message, or post something on a social platform
- Find something you think may encourage another person and do that – give a tip to someone not expecting it, leave packaged goods on another person’s porch, consider doing something you know another person would love
Strive to support those who may need it (1 Thess 5:14)
- Do you have someone in your family who needs something?
- Is there someone in your church family who may need something?
- What about your neighbors on your street, in your neighborhood, or in your community?
- Are they housebound? Do they need someone to pick something up? Do you have something you can share?
- If you have extra food, toilet paper, milk, etc….make sure you are doing your part to help those in need. Now is not the time for hoarding.
Choose and communicate gratitude in the midst of hardship (Eph 4:19-20)
- What are you grateful for today? Tell someone
- Who are the people you appreciate? Let them know
- For what things can you rejoice? Share that as well
- If you can’t tell someone, then share it online, find a way to tell someone, or tell God through prayer.
- It is easy to find fault in leaders of every sort (local, state, and national). Instead of focusing on what they could do better, appreciate they are working to make this better.
Smile as often as you can and help others smile (Prov 15:13-15, 30; 17:22)
- Smiling is good for the soul!
- Watch or read what makes you smile
- Talk with someone who is funny and enjoy a good laugh together
- Think about what makes you smile to help lift your attitude
- Share a smile with others
Stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24)
- Encourage others to do what you are doing
- Lead by example
- Make plans with people to help each other as you can
- Work toward unity and not division
Pray for each other (James 5:16)
- Use your list you made earlier of those things for which you are grateful and thank God for them
- Consider other people’s needs and pray through those
- Pray for our community, state, and national leaders
- Pray for your pastors as they seek to serve people during this crisis
- If you need prayer, ask for it
Speak biblical truth to one another, which brings comfort (1 Thess 4:18)
- Share biblical truth – your favorite verse, a word of encouragement, something about the character of God
- Tell how truth has encouraged you in the past few days
- Consider your favorite songs that benefit you and encourage you – share those as well
- Make sure you point each other toward Jesus Christ, our relationship with Him, our union with Him, the hope of the Gospel, and the power of the Gospel

Let’s work together to make this time as favorable as possible for and with each other!

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
(Matthew 6:34)